


Playground

by silentnormanellison



Category: Fury (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:30:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5377019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentnormanellison/pseuds/silentnormanellison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Middle school aged Norman and Emma meet on a playground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gradytravisjr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gradytravisjr/gifts).



> My girlfriend is a mixer of fandoms and decided a while back that Chad from Burn After Reading (Brad Pitt) is Don's older brother.

Norman sat idly on the swings kicking his feet back and forth. His eyes swept the playground. He watched as a girl walked up to the swings. She had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“Hi,” She chirped, “My name is Emma, I just moved here from Germany. What’s your name?” She asked Norman in a thick German accent.

“Norman,” He said looking into her eyes. He continued to swing, waiting for her to leave him alone. Emma didn’t leave. She sat there watching Norman ignore her on the swings. Emma sat on the swing beside Norman and started swinging merrily. Norman side-eyed her as she swung, her laughing striking a chord deep down inside him. The bell that ended recess rang and Norman promptly stood up and walked inside, leaving Emma behind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day Norman walked into his home and went to the kitchen. His older brothers’ friend was there. Don. He was a high schooler, tall, handsome, with a cool truck. Norman bet that Don had dated a lot of girls and could help him out with his current problem. 

“Hey, Don?” Norman started quietly, “I have a problem.” Don looked down at him and gave him a quizzical look. 

“What’s the matter Norm?”

“I, uh, sorta have a crush.” Norman mumbled.

Don looked down at Norman and gave him a half smile. Norman peered up at Don through his bangs. “Why won’t Don quit grinning at me?’ Norman asked himself.

“Why don’t you ask your brother?” Don asked Norman, still grinning. Norman sat for a minute peering down at his feet.

“Because he’s mean to me.” Norman whispered under his breath. 

Don looked down at Norman with sympathy in his eyes. Don remembered being that age. His older brother had constantly bullied him. Chad, that asshole, would always pick on Don and he was always doing things like tripping him and pushing him around. Though Norman’s older brother was never physical with him he did pretend like Norman didn’t exist. Which was equally as cruel. Don smiled at Norman, accepting the older brother card he had been dealt.

“Well,” Don started to ask, “What is she like?” Norman continued looking at his feet and took a few seconds before he began.  


"Well, she’s really pretty, with long blonde hair, and really blue eyes, just like yours!” Norman exclaimed. Don continued smiling, Norman was finally coming out of his shell. It was healthy for him. As far as Don knew Norman had never really had any friends, he preferred to be quiet and resided in his bedroom, always silent. 

“Yeah, but what does she like? What does she talk about? Stuff like that.”

“Uh, um, I’ve never really spoken to her. She came up to me today on the swings, and she actually talked to me. I wasn’t that weird quiet kid to her. She said she was new and didn’t have any friends.”

“And what did you say?”

“I…” Norman hesitated, “I didn’t say anything.”

Don’s face fell and Norman leaned forward, his eyes staring at the ground. Don patted Norman on the back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norman comes out of his shell and finally talks to Emma.

The next day Norman twitched in his seat waiting for the bell for recess to ring. Emma hadn’t looked in his direction all morning. Finally, the bell rang and Norman stayed back a few minutes like he always did, waiting for the class to clear out. He sighed and started to walk when he looked up and saw Emma standing by the door, waiting for him. 

Normans face brightened as he walked up to Emma. Her shiny blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail. A few strands of hair fell out, framing her delicate face. Her skin was a ghostly pale, her eyes a striking blue. The kids walked in silence. They exited through the doors and to the swings where they sat together. Neither of them said a word. 

“Hi, Emma.” Norman finally said. Emma looked over shocked at first, but she eventually grinned.

“Hi, Norman!” She chirped. Emma’s voice was soft, the sound of a sweet humming or like the sounds you heard in the very early morning in the middle of the forest. Her voice transported Norman to a meadow, soft grass and beautiful tall flowers, sunflowers the color of Emma’s hair. 

“What do you like?” Norman asked once he finally composed himself. Emma smiled.

“I like dogs! I have four at home. They’re all reaaaally big.” Emma waved her hands for emphasis, “And I really love ice cream, except chocolate. My favorite breakfast food is a slice of toast with Limburger cheese on the side, but that’s kind of hard to find here in America.” She babbled on and on.

Norman smiled as she spoke not wanting to interrupt her. It was nice to hear another voice. Norman looked up at Emma and saw her staring at him.

“Sorry, what?” He asked.

“What do you like Norman? What is some of your favorite things?”

“I uh,” Norman stuttered out, “I like dogs too, but some are scary, like my neighbors, his is always trying to get me. I really love the color orange, and that’s also my favorite fruit.”

Norman and Emma chatted away on the swings until they heard the teacher calling them after the bell had rang. The two jumped off the swings and raced back to the classroom. By the time Norman got back to his seat, he was panting hard. Emma was perfectly fine. But that was okay because at least Norman had won the race.

Back in class, they went through math. Norman and Emma kept giggling and the teacher finally caved and moved Norman up to sit beside Emma. The teacher was just happy that Norman was finally participating and had a friend. The school bell rang shortly after and Norman and Emma walked to the buses together. Norman walked Emma to her bus and watched her get on. Once she was sat in a seat she waved to Norman and he finally got on the bus and took his seat.

He couldn’t wait to go to school the next day.


End file.
